


The Stork Brings a Couple More Cranes

by EmonyDeborah



Category: Cheers (TV), Frasier (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Pregnancy, no affair, no divorce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 18:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16434161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmonyDeborah/pseuds/EmonyDeborah
Summary: The three times Lilith tells Frasier she's pregnant.





	The Stork Brings a Couple More Cranes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my new canon. Lilith never cheated on Frasier, and they moved to Seattle together with their family at the end of Cheers.

_Cheers 7x14, 'I Kid You Not'_

 

“You know, Lilith, I think we’ve all learned something here tonight. I’m going to try to tell you what it is, before you coat my blistering feet with butter and drop me off at the emergency room.” Frasier gingerly made his way around Carla’s chair and sat down, Lilith glancing at his feet as he did so. The pungent smell of scorched leather reached her from Frasier’s shoes and set her stomach churning, but she swallowed back the feeling as Frasier assembled his thoughts.

The evening had been a disaster, nothing like she’d planned. Her hope had been for a lovely dinner with Ludlow and Carla--a tall order, although to be fair she and Frasier had practically stolen her son for a week--before going home with Frasier, who would be in  good mood until she calmly refused a nightcap. Then she would have explained.

But no, when faced with their first challenge with Ludlow she and Frasier had failed, leaving the real parenting to Carla. Now, Frasier was hunched over in Carla’s chair, long, awkward limbs sticking out in what was supposed to be a relaxed position. He was watching his own interlocked fingers with a despondent look on his face.

“See,” he finally started, “this incident has made something very clear to me. I believe my initial instincts were correct.” Something solidified in Lilith’s chest, but she didn’t react. “We shouldn’t have children.” Lilith’s heart plummeted, she blinked and looked down to hide it.

Her stomach was still flat, but it would be large and round soon enough. Frasier loved her body the way it was, what if in a few months he wasn’t attracted to her? She’d never been desired before the way Frasier desired her, she didn’t know how she’d cope with losing that part of their relationship.

“I don’t think I’d make a good father,” he continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. He’d be a wonderful father, she was certain, any child of Frasier’s would know he was loved and cherished. Her own role as a parent was difficult to imagine, as she’d never been the nurturing type. But it was effortless to picture Frasier smiling down at a beautiful little baby, who’d perhaps inherited his brilliant blue eyes. Lilith treasured that mental picture. “I don’t want to be a father.”

There it was, and the picture was slipping away. She hoped he was just making excuses or deluding himself, and was slightly encouraged when his shoulders slumped momentarily.

Clasping his hands together, Frasier straightened his back and proclaimed, “I’ll never be a father. End of discussion.” His mind was really made up, no argument she made was going to sway him. She knew him well enough to know that, that there would be no reasoning with him.

Very well. She didn’t have to reason with him, only completely change his opinion without making any kind of rational argument. But what if everything was different? She was happy with the way things were in their marriage, it was based on love and mutual respect. The prospect of change frightened her and made her hesitate. But Lilith steeled herself, there could be no further delay.

“Frasier I’m pregnant.”

His reaction was instantaneous. “I’m gonna be a daddy?” he said, pressing his hands on the table, leaning forward as far as he could. The joy lighting up his eyes was all Lilith had hoped for, and brought a small smile to her face. Frasier leaped out of his chair. “I’m gonna be a daddy!” he announced to the entire restaurant, and for once Lilith didn’t mind him making a scene. She could finally breathe, knowing he was happy to be a father.

“Oh, Lilith, we must come here more often.”

* * *

_Cheers 10x6, 'Unplanned Parenthood'_

 

Frasier was ranting about domestic life again.

It wasn't something he did often, just enough that when he did, Lilith began to mentally prepare herself to bring it up later and work through the problem, or at least discuss it. Over the course of their marriage, she and Frasier had discovered that they weren't very good at that, but they both knew it had to be done. Even so, Lilith wasn't looking forward to insisting, as it usually fell to her to do.

This time it was babies. Frasier was warning Sam and terrorizing Rebecca with the horrors of parenthood, demanding a scotch between exclamations about alone time.

Lilith knew Frasier loved Frederick, and that he wouldn't give up their son for all the French dinners and operas in the world. But this bout of ire was still disheartening, especially knowing the secret she would have to tell him eventually.

_“I don't want to be a father,”_ she remembered him saying almost three years ago. _“I’ll never be a father."_ Her deep, intense fear that once she told him everything would change between them-

“Frasier I’m pregnant.”

Silence.

Lilith blinked, snapped back to the present. Frasier was staring down at her, his mouth hanging open, and all at once Lilith realized what she had revealed while lost in her flashback.

This wasn't what she’d wanted, she hadn't yet planned how to tell him but it certainly wouldn't have been here, surrounded by his idiotic gang. And she hadn't meant to twist the knife into poor Rebecca, who disappeared into her office with a strange gulping, gasping noise.

“We’re gonna have another baby?”

_“I’m gonna be a daddy?”_ he’d asked three years ago. This time it was ‘we', the two of them. Lilith supposed that counted for something.

She nodded, warily anticipating his response.

“We’re gonna have another baby!” he shouted to the whole bar, ecstatic. “Drinks for everyone, on me!”

Up to that point everyone had been staring at Lilith, dumbfounded, but at Frasier's final announcement a roar went up from all the regular patrons. Norm, unsurprisingly, was at the forefront.

“All right!” he said, thumping Frasier on the back.

“Congratulations!”

“That's wonderful you guys!” A flurry of handshakes and slaps on the back descended on a joyous Frasier, who accepted them all with glee until everyone moved on to crowd around the bar. Frasier grinned at the lot of them before turning and dropping to one knee beside Lilith’s chair. Lilith's lips twitched up; he’d reveled in the approval of his peers, now he could be attentive.

“Lilith this is wonderful! How far along are you?” Lilith smiled, charmed by his obvious excitement.

“Approximately eight weeks.”

“Eight weeks?” She nodded again. “A baby!” He sprang up and paced back and forth a few times, bursting with happiness and pride. “Another baby! Ha! I-we-” He grabbed her face and kissed her, tilting her head up as he leaned down. Lilith was grateful she was sitting, her knees would have turned to water otherwise. When Frasier broke the kiss she was gasping, and he pulled a chair around their table to sit next to her.

“How have you been feeling? Would you like anything?”

“I feel fine,” Lilith said, evading the actual question as her heartbeat returned to its normal rate. The morning sickness had, in fact, been awful, but Frasier had slept through most of it. “And no, thank you.” It was a moment before he realized her side-stepping his question, and he frowned and opened his mouth to ask before she shook her head in two minute movements, pursing her lips, and Frasier silently agreed to drop the subject for the time being.

“Well,” he said, bright grin reappearing on his face, “what do you think, boy or girl?”

“A girl,” Lilith said immediately. “At least I hope so, I’d prefer not to go through another bris.” Frasier blanched, his smile momentarily wiped from his face.

“Agreed,” he said, shuddering. He looked up at her, the remembered horror of Frederick’s bris melting into something like shame. Lilith frowned in concern.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, thinking of his tirade against children only moments ago but trying not to show it.

“Darling,” he started, taking her hands. He stared down at her fingers, running his thumb over her engagement and wedding rings. In his embarrassment he was refusing to meet her eyes.

“Darling,” he said again, “what I was saying before, about a social life and sleeping all night-” Lilith blinked, she hadn't expected him to bring it up without severe nagging on her part. “-well-you know I prefer you and Frederick and the baby-” Lilith’s heart warmed at how easily he said it, how completely he already loved their second child. “-over dinner at the Ritz or some symphony, don't you?” Lilith smiled, and a weight seemed to lift off Frasier's shoulders.

“Of course, Frasier,” she said warmly, squeezing his hands. “And I’m glad you're so pleased.”

“Pleased?” His ecstatic grin was back. “I’m delighted! Filled with joy!” He launched into another rant, this time about his complete happiness. It was filled with phrases like “overcome with blissful jubilation” and “wondrous miracle”, and Lilith listened in contented silence until he talked himself hoarse.

“Dear, you're going to be late to your next appointment,” she said as Sam handed him a glass of water. “And I’m due back at the lab.” Lilith stood and kissed him on the cheek, hiding her smirk at his pout. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, dear,” he mumbled, and gave her a quick kiss in return.

* * *

_Frasier, mid-season five_

 

“Lilith? What are you doing home already?” Lilith didn't look up at him, but he saw her shoulders tense.

Frasier had just gotten home from running errands; dropping Frederick and Katrina off at school had progressed into picking up drycleaning and buying groceries. These kinds of tasks usually fell to him or Daphne, as Lilith worked longer hours at the lab than he did at the studio. Lilith being home this early was an aberration, it wasn't even noon yet.

“Darling, are you all right? Were you sent home?” She was sitting on the couch, staring at a small, rectangular piece of paper. It was too small to be a letter, and almost before it had fully formed in his mind Frasier disregarded the notion that Lilith could have been given a notification of dismissal.

She didn't answer until he draped the drycleaning over a chair and set the groceries in the kitchen. Pressing the paper to her chest, she took a deep breath as he sat down next to her.

“I decided to take the day off,” she said, glancing at him when he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Why?” he asked, concern growing as she bit her lip. She passed him the paper without looking at it, instead staring straight ahead, hands twisting in her lap, as Frasier looked down.

He smiled, it was an old sonogram. “Is this Frederick, or Katrina?” he asked, wondering what about it had upset her so much. She didn't answer except to look down at her hands. “Were you looking through old pictures?” Six or nine year old pictures, he realized, and thought he understood what was causing her such distress. He rubbed a soothing hand across her back. “They certainly are growing up fast, aren't they?” Lilith’s forehead creased, she seemed to be on the verge of tears. He squeezed her shoulder.

It was probably Frederick, he thought, squinting at the information on the picture. _Sternin-Crane, Lilith A._ Yes, and the date underneath-

That was today’s date. Frasier’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

“Lilith-”

“I’m pregnant,” she said, her back impossibly straight and her gaze facing directly forward, as if she were waiting for him to be angry.

“You-”

“Yes.” Frasier’s shocked expression slowly morphed into a wide smile.

“Lilith, this is-Lilith?” He frowned again when she didn’t look at him. He knew what was upsetting her now, but he still didn’t understand why. “Darling, what’s wrong?” Her face worked to keep her emotions masked, but he caught a flash of genuine terror.

“What if-” Her voice shook, and she swallowed. “-something goes wrong?”

“Something?” Lilith wasn’t normally so unspecific when posing questions, she never wanted to leave any possibility of being misunderstood. “What do you mean?” She bit her lip and looked down at her hands.

“There are inherent risks in every pregnancy,” she said slowly, as if she were carefully choosing every individual word, “especially for women of my-” She took a shuddering breath and clenched her jaw.

“Women of your…?” Frasier said when Lilith didn't continue. He genuinely had no idea where Lilith was going with this, but she was beginning to frighten him. She swallowed.

“Age.” Embarrassment pulled on the corners of her mouth, she was still resolutely looking anywhere but at Frasier. “By the time they've reached forty, many women are past the age of being able to conceive.” She paused, and a theory began to form in Frasier’s mind.

“So,” he started, “what you're saying is that you're worried about the effect this pregnancy will have on your health?” She finally looked up at him, confused.

“Well now I am,” she said, after thinking for a moment, effectively disproving Frasier's theory and leaving him lost as before.

“Darling,” he said tentatively, attempting to work with what he had, “you’re in peak physical condition for your height and weight, as long as we keep regular appointments with the obstetrician and follow her instructions everything will be-” Lilith shot out of her seat and started to pace, wringing her hands and compulsively smoothing down her dress. “-fine.”

“But I’m still-” She paused as if she couldn't stand to continue, her agitation growing with every passing second. “-old.”

“Dear,” Frasier said, relieved at finally understanding the situation, “you're not-”

“Yes I am, Frasier!” she interrupted, her voice rising in pitch. “I’m too old for this!” Her arms wrapped around her stomach as her breathing descended into shallow, panicked gasps. “What if my body can't accommodate another pregnancy? What if something happens because I’m not strong enough?”

Ah. This made much more sense.

Lilith wasn't concerned for herself, she rarely ever was. This whole episode was about the baby, whether she would be enough to protect and nurture it for nine months. Frasier fought off his own stab of terror; even if Lilith’s fears were justified that wasn't what she needed from him right now.

“Darling, come here.” She allowed him to take her hands and draw her back onto the couch, and he gently arranged her so that she was curled against him on his lap. “You're the strongest woman I know, and you've experienced pregnancy before. We both know what to expect.” Lilith didn't answer except to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in his shoulder. “You're not alone, Lilith, I promise.” He knew how many of her barriers and insecurities came back to that, the fear of having no one. “It’s going to be all right.”

Some of the tension eased in Lilith’s shoulders, she relaxed slightly in Frasier's embrace. The emotion of the moment passed, leaving them in comfortable silence, and neither of them made any move to get up.

“Frasier, am I really the strongest woman you know?” Lilith asked suddenly, her voice muffled by his shirt. Frasier grinned and tightened his arms around her.

“Oh yes,” he said, and felt her smile. “I’ve seen you throw furniture around without so much as a second thought.” She tensed at his teasing and looked up at him, but her lips curled into a reluctant smile at his grin.

Her hair was up in its usual bun and Frasier's fingers toyed with the wispy curls on the back of her neck. Lilith settled against his shoulder again, still looking up at him.

“I love you,” she said, “and I am excited to have another baby.” Frasier smiled down at her.

“Me too,” he said, and kissed her.

 


End file.
